AbGradE 101 Networking Workshop, Prague, May 2019

May 2019 was an important month for Astrobiology and especially European astrobiologists, with the official foundation of the European Astrobiology Institute (EAI). AbGradE, in collaboration with EAI, organized a satellite networking workshop before the EAI launch. "AbGradE 101: where early-career astrobiologists meet" was aimed at young scientists, both to introduce participants to the many domains in the field of astrobiology, as well as to have a seminar in scientific networking, to promote collaborations. The workshop was attended by 28 participants from around the world.
The workshop featured an introduction to the world of Astrobiology, focused on the diversity of sciences involved, and study and career opportunities, followed by a seminar in science communication given by Arianna Ricchiuti. There were also small group discussions by AbGradE committee members specialising in different topics in Astrobiology spectrum.
The second day of the event featured presentations by two experts in the field, Dr. Doris Breuer (DLR Berlin, Germany) and Dr. Catherine Walsh (University of Leeds, UK). They further enhanced our understanding of the field of Astrobiology by sharing their experiences and career paths. Social events during the workshop included a sightseeing tour in the historical city center of Prague, an icebreaker event and science quiz and a visit to a truly unique Czech landmark, the Planetary Trail, a distance- and size-scaled analogue of the solar system at the riverside.